First of all can anyone help me with this error.

SOLID_VPHYSICS static prop with no vphysics model! (models/props_foliage/ivy_01.mdl)

Secondly can anyone explain in simple english how to get areaportlas to work. I have already looked here http://www.student.kun.nl/rvanhoorn/Optimization.htm but I just dont understand it.

What I am trying to achieve is to optomize my map by placing areaportals in all the open windows and doors of buildings that the player can enter.

I have looked at other decompiled custom maps and they look as though they are world brushes with the texture area portal applied and I can't see that they are tied to an entity in any way.

Any help from more experienced mappers would be greatly appreciated.

Vmex does NOT de-compile brush based entities properly. That's why all the area portals and such are world brushes.

Best place to ask technical questions is over at:

http://www.hl2world.com/bbs/beginner-mapping-help-vf51.html?sid=3e2dd352ba4bd290f3b9b7fb7f25f649

:)

SOLID_VPHYSICS static prop with no vphysics model! (models/props_foliage/ivy_01.mdl)

that means that the model you are using has no collision mesh.

make it "not solid" in the model's properties and you will get rid of that error.
you will be able to run thro' it tho', so you may want to clip it with a player clip or a clip brush.

area portals will work if there are no leaks in the area you are trying to seal.

it's literally like putting in invisible doors or windows to seal a room or box.

Thanks for that guys.

About the area portal once you have placed a world brush and textured it with areaportal texture as far as I can tell you need to do the following.

Check that it is touching a world brush on all four sides, and not touching a func_detail.

Do you then tie this brush to an entity? i.e. func_areaportal?

[i]Originally posted by [SAS]==Dirty_Harry
Do you then tie this brush to an entity? i.e. func_areaportal? [/B]

yep :)

check out this (http://www.dayofdefeat.net/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=62325&highlight=portal) thread for the best explanaton of area portals etc. that i've seen ;)

Thanks for that cheese-sarnie that's the best decription i've had yet and makes it alot clearer. However still having problems with area_portals as so far every one I have placed has caused an error, saying that it is not touching in two places.

However when you zoom in in 2d view I can't see where they aren't touching.

Oh well looks like a few more hours of foul language and head scratching is needed

Originally posted by [SAS]==Dirty_Harry
Oh well looks like a few more hours of foul language and head scratching is needed

if it wasn't difficult it wouldn't be as much fun :)

i'm not an expert at portals, but sometimes you get a whole bunch of errors pointing to just one portal brush, try deleting it.

also try learning the area portal basics on a test map. a small box in a map with a couple of holes in it. then move on to more complicated brushwork. it's worth learning as you can add a lot of fps to indoor areas using area portals.